


the prince and the sea

by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Injury, Pirates, Sea Monsters, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/pseuds/thewayofthetrashcompactor
Summary: Prince Ben Chewbacca Solo Organa, descendant of the house of Naberrie and the line of Skywalker, heir to the Starbird pirate fleet, has followed in the family tradition of slaying monsters and ruling the high seas. Which in no way is an attempt at ignoring his soulmate bond.Fate and soulmates do not appreciate being ignored.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 15
Kudos: 46
Collections: For one is both and both are one in love: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology's Valentine's Day Exchange





	the prince and the sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kuresoto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuresoto/gifts).



> Yeah, I could not leave this prompt alone. Thank you Kuresoto for prompting it, and I hope you enjoy!

Prince Ben Chewbacca Solo Organa, descendant of the house of Naberrie and the line of Skywalker, heir to the Starbird pirate fleet, stared at the faint line of green on the horizon and wondered if he could reasonably swim back to the island they’d left from. He’d learned to swim practically before he could walk as a child, but a journey that took three days by ship would be pushing even him. Especially with the ominous gray clouds that had been tracking the ship nearly since they’d left port. Maybe he could steal one of the rowboats overnight. He looked across the deck of the ship to where they were tied down. He’d have to distract the watch, but --

A large hand landed on his shoulder and Ben jumped. Looking back, he found his father’s first mate, now his for this journey , looking down at him with a knowing grin. 

“Rose got the watch tonight,” Chewie said gruffly, his dense beard further obscuring his heavily accented voice. Ben tried to keep his face neutral. “I told her to keep an eye on the rowboats. Don’t want anyone getting panicked over this monster and tryin’ to bail now that we’re almost there.”

Ben scowled, giving up his pretense. “I’m no more scared by the creature guarding Jakku than any other monster we’ve fought.”

Chewie guffawed, his hand tightening on Ben’s shoulder as he threw his head back. “No, you’re just terrified that your mother might be right and your soulmate is out here like your gut’s been telling you.” He shook his head and snorted. “You’re your dad’s kid, no denying it.”

Ben’s scowl deepened, which failed to impress his surrogate uncle. “I’m not _scared_ ,” he snapped. His hand twitched, but he resisted the urge to touch the mark on his arm.

It was hard to tell with all the hair, but Ben had known his uncle long enough to get the impression of his smile as Chewie looked down at him. Ben could glare down his prominent nose at most people on the crew, but no one could look down on Chewie. “It’s okay to be nervous, kid,” he said, his hand turning Ben to look at him directly. “I remember when I caught up to Maz. She told me she wasn’t looking for a soulmate this century and she had customers to serve.” The dark skin around his eyes crinkled. “Took me years and a rock the size of my fist to win her over. In the end, it wasn’t the rock but how I got it that convinced her to hear me out.”

“I have no plans on winning anyone over,” Ben gritted out. 

“Believe me, no one who’s met you has any doubt about that,” Chewie said, clapping Ben on the back. “Your old man managed it, though, so there’s hope for you yet.”

Ben grimaced. “I think it’d be more effective for me to throw myself overboard now rather than follow Han’s lead in romance.”

Chewie grinned. “That’d probably save a lot of broken furniture, but you could do worse. Your dad got there in the end, didn’t he?”

“I don’t think that’s as encouraging as you think it is,” Ben muttered.

Chewie laughed again. “Well, maybe the Jakku monster will get you before you have to deal with anything as terrifying as a soulmate.”

Ben pursed his lips. “Thank you for your confidence in me.”

“Anytime." Chewie's hand squeezed his shoulder a last time as he pulled away. "Just remember that the rest of us want to get back home before you go pulling off some idiotic plan that'll get us all eaten. I promised Maz I'd help her add on to the castle this fall."

"I hear the monster of Jakku sucks people's souls from their bodies rather than killing them," Ben said blandly. Chewie mumbled something into his beard that Ben didn't catch as he walked away. 

Ben turned back to the rail and resumed glaring at the strip of land in the distance. He couldn't deny that his soulmate bond pulled him across the sea to that barren place, but he'd been content to ignore it for years. If it hadn't been for the monstrous creature that made its home in the harbor, he could have carried on ignoring it for years to come. The monster had been there for fifteen years already, keeping all but the bravest and most desperate from entering the port, but its habitat kept expanding, until it had attacked one of the Starbird fleet, an insult his mother couldn’t let stand. 

She’d sent him to deal with it, not an uncommon task. He’d traveled all across the seas, learning the realm and testing himself across anything in his path, but he’d carefully avoided the far rest. His mother was dangerously perceptive and it had taken her only minutes to discover the source of his reluctance for this particular journey. Minutes more, and he had a crew and was on the water. People didn’t say ‘no’ to Leia Organa, and those who did usually found themselves doing what she wanted without knowing how it had happened. 

Ben sighed. He’d avoided the call of the bond for nearly three decades already. He should have known it couldn’t last forever, especially with her increasingly less subtle hints about the matter. He remembered clearly her parting instructions to bring back whoever was on the the other end of his bond, after he apologized for avoiding them all these years. She likely didn’t care what kind of person he brought back at this point: sex, class, profession, hell, she’d probably be willing to overlook a few tentacles to meet her son’s soulmate. 

Grimacing, Ben pushed up his left sleeve, revealing the tangled lines circling his arm just below the elbow. Jagged black points resembling teeth intersected graceful curves like waves. He remembered Maz peering at the pattern when he was a child, and telling him he needed to grow up strong to face the battles ahead. Maz knew more than anyone else in the realm and her cryptic readings of soulmate markings hadn’t been wrong yet, but the promise of conflict wasn’t what kept Ben from flying across the water to the person he was destined for. He hated the idea of fate, that his life had been decided by the time he was born. So much of his life had been set out before him already, born to the leaders of the Rebellion and bearing more names than he knew what to do with. He resented being told that his partner in life was no more his choice than anything else. 

He brushed his fingers over the dark lines. He hadn’t truly considered how his soulmate might feel about the matter until his mother had forced it to the forefront of his thoughts. What kind of person bore the mark that matched his? Did they feel the pull as strongly as he did? He could hardly remember a time when he hadn’t felt the bond dragging him to its other end. Did they want this? Had they been waiting for him to brave the monster to reach them? An uneasy feeling coiled in his gut at the thought that they might believe he had chosen not to find them out of fear or that they weren’t worth the journey. 

He sighed. It was hardly worth worrying about all this now. The confrontation with both the monster and his soulmate would come sooner rather than later. He could prepare for one of those. He glanced up at the sky, which had been reflecting his mood since they left. Dark clouds only grew darker the closer they got to Jakku. Given the way the wind had picked up, pushing the roiling masses across the sky, the storm would likely catch them before they reached land. A flare of anticipation raced through him. Perfect monster hunting weather. All the stories of the Jakku monster said it attacked during storms, and they would be ready.

The ship thrummed with activity as the sky grew darker. Everything that could move was lashed down, and weapons were prepared and set at the ready. By the time the first drops of rain fell, the entire crew buzzed with excitement for the fight against nature. To the west, Jakku had grown closer, now more than a fuzzy line on the horizon, but still too far away for them to race to. They sailed firmly in the monster’s territory.

The rain started with a few hesitant drops, then the skies broke open above them. Water pelted the deck and the wind picked up until the waves rose like walls around them. They sailed on, the ship groaning as it crested each turbulent peak and crashed back down into the valleys. At first it seemed like it might be no more than a terrible storm, nothing supernatural about it. Then the lookout cried out a warning, and as one, the crew turned to see tentacles just below the surface, closing in on them. The wind took on an odd wailing note, so piercing that half the crew put their hands to their ears. It hit Ben in the chest, like he could hear the anger and grief in the inhuman sound. He stopped in his tracks.

The monster hit the side of the ship with a sound like a cannonball. The deck rocked under Ben’s feet and he sprang back into motion, rushing to his position, spear in hand before the rail. The crew shouted all around him as everyone took up arms, preparing for the real battle. For a moment, the only sound was the pounding of rain against the deck, then the snap of the sails in the wind. 

The screaming started again, louder and clearer than before. It had begun as something sorrowful, but the sound now was filled with righteous rage. It told Ben that he deserved this for his crimes, that this was justice being taken out on him and his crew. He shuddered under the weight of it, fighting to remember why they’d come. 

“Stay strong,” Chewie bellowed from the bridge. “Weapons up, keep an eye on your sides!”

Ben struggled past the monster’s haunting call and looked over the railing down the ship. Sure enough, thin tentacles had started to climb the sides, suckers gliding over the ship’s curved planks. The blinding rain and rocking of the ship made it hard to see, but the appendages seemed to glow a gray-white in the darkness, streaked with veins of darkness. They weren’t the massive limbs he’d seen on the beast they’d fought to the north, but these moved quickly, darting into the portholes and wreaking havoc and retreating before they could be attacked. He waited, spear at the ready, listening to the shouts around him as his crew gathered their defense. 

A tentacle finally darted all the way up to the deck of the ship, and he leapt into action, piercing it. The limb retreated immediately, but returned just as quickly, curving to avoid his next blow. He caught its side, and it curled into the womb, reaching out and wrapping itself around his spear. He gritted his teeth as the tentacle used its grip on his weapon to lift him from the deck. He refused to relinquish his hold on his spear, wrapping one arm around it while he reached down with his other hand to the sword hanging from his hips. He yanked it from the scabbard, his other arm burning while the tentacle tried to pull the spear from his grip. He braced his feet on the edge of the deck and cut long slashes across the white coils. 

The wind’s screaming rose in pitch, joined by a pained and furious shriek. The tentacle retreated, then returned, followed by two more. He heard the sounds of metal and flesh hitting wood around him, but he couldn't look away to see how the rest of his crew was faring. One of the tentacles darted for him, and he ducked away, barely avoiding the second that approached him from the other side. He swung out, nicking it with his sword, and the third rushed at him. He fought it off with the spear, while still watching the second one, sword at the ready. He barely had a chance to gasp when the first one wrapped around his waist from behind and squeezed. 

Adrenaline raced through him, and he brought his sword down, stabbing the wraith-like appendage. Black ochre seeped out of the wound, but it didn’t relinquish its hold. The third tentacle took advantage of his distraction to wrench the spear from his grasp. No sooner had pain shot up his arm from that attack then the second tentacle coiled up his sword arm, keeping him from continuing his attack. He shouted in frustration, his throat burning. Rain soaked through him, drenching him to the skin, but the tentacles’ grip remained tight, even as he tried to twist out of the trap. 

It pulled on his arm until he thought it would dislocate, and the tentacle around his waist tightened further. He struggled for breath, chest heaving. His hair hung around his face, blocking his vision, which started to blur as the tentacle continued to coil around him. It started to retreat, returning to the sea with him still held tightly in his clutches. Ringing filled his ears and his vision started to spot. He clawed at the limbs holding him, but he couldn’t accomplish with his bare hands what his weapons had failed to do. His mind raced, looking for a way out, and the tentacles continued to bear him down to the waves. 

Water soaked him, making it almost impossible to tell when the tentacles dragged him all the way down to the sea. Salt water covered his head, filling his open mouth, and he realized that this was it. His lungs burned. His mind turned to his parents, how neither he nor them had thought that their parting would be their last. He hadn’t even said farewell to his father. He wondered how his mother would react to Chewie telling her that he’d gotten out of meeting his soulmate by succumbing to a sea monster. 

His eyes stung with seawater, only blackness greeting him. He no longer fought, hanging limp in the tentacles, waiting for the final embrace of the monster. A pale shape formed out of the depths, and he squinted, trying to see through his failing vision. The shape resolved into that of a deathly thin woman, features sunken and elongated. His mind struggled to understand. None of the tales he’d sought out had said anything about a creature like this. She looked more ghost than sea monster. His eyes found hers, as pale as the rest of her, but with a surprisingly warm spark in their depths. 

The moment their gazes met, a shock blazed through him. It felt like a fireball hit him in the chest, sent directly along the line of his soul bond. It sunk into him, racing along his veins, burning him from the inside out. He gasped, taking in more water, but his mind cleared like he’d escaped back into the open air. He saw every detail of the monstrous woman before him and the vision etched itself in his mind: her long, bony limbs, her bared chest and prominent ribs, the tentacles the same shade as her skin curled around her and reaching for the surface. Her dark hair floated around her emaciated face and her mouth hung open as if she was shocked as he was, blue lips revealing rows of pointed teeth. 

The fire consuming him flowed back inward and concentrated around the mark on his arm, flaring with incandescent heat before fading entirely. His gaze darted to her arm, catching sight of a matching band below the elbow, before her tentacles released him all at once. Her eyes held his, wide and haunted, and then she disappeared into the inky depths beyond, tentacles retreating behind her.

Ben stared after her, and then his lungs reminded him that he was quickly running out of air. Limbs aching, he pushed himself to the surface. The vast depth around him made it hard to tell which way was up, so he trusted his instincts and hoped for the best. The blue above his head looked slightly lighter. He swam in broad strokes in that direction, grateful that the movements came instinctively while his mind screamed with pain and confusion. 

The light grew stronger above, and his head finally breached the surface. He took a gasping breath, coughing as the air came with more salt water. His stomach heaved, and he gagged on the salt water he’d already inhaled, barely keeping himself above the surface as his body struggled to adjust. Through the water in his ears, he heard familiar shouts, as if far away, and he tried to turn towards them. His eyes stung and his vision stayed blurred, but he realized the sky above the waves was much brighter than it had been when he’d gone under. A dark and blurry shape approached him, yelling something he couldn’t hear. It grabbed his arm, and he struggled on instinct.

The shape leaned closer and shouted in a familiar deep voice. “Ben, it’s me! It’s Chewie!”

Ben relaxed and let his uncle pull him along, presumably back towards the ship. He shook his head, dislodging some of the water from his hair and ears. He kept blinking until his sight started to clear, revealing they were much closer to the ship than he’d thought. Several of the crew crowded around the rail above them, and a pair of ropes hung over the side of the ship. Chewie pushed him until he could grab one of them. 

“Can you climb?” he asked gruffly, dark eyes full of concern.

Ben tested his grip on the robe. Everything hurt, from the muscles in his arms that had been stretched to their limits, his palms where his weapons had been torn away, and his lungs and stomach from too much sea water. He wouldn’t be able to get far, but he could get back into the ship. He nodded. Chewbacca waited for him to raise himself out of the water before climbing quickly up his own rope. He ascended swiftly and reappeared above Ben, lending his massive strength to the crew pulling him back up. 

Ben landed on the deck in an undignified heap. Still coughing and dripping water, he pushed himself up to look around. Chewie crouched next to him. His craggy features held far more fear and uncertainty than Ben was used to seeing from the man who, as far as he knew, had seen everything in the seas twice. 

"You okay, kid?" he rumbled. 

His entire body felt like it had been pulled apart and put back together. "I'll live," Ben told him, his throat barely letting the words out. He swallowed and felt every inch of raw flesh scrubbed by salt. "Water?" 

The people around him shuffled, and a skin of water was thrust in front of him. He nodded his thanks and took it. His throat protested as he drank, but by the time he'd finished half of it, he felt like he could speak again. He glanced around him and found most of the crew gathered, expressions ranging from shocked to terrified. 

"What happened?" he asked, looking up at his uncle. 

Chewie's mouth pressed into a grim line. Sea water still dripped from his hair and beard. "The monster was smarter than we expected. Took out the big weapons quick, then disappeared. When we looked around, turned out it'd decided to take it all out on you. Watched it scoop you up and drag you under." 

Chewie swallowed, his gaze turning haunted. "Everything went quiet for a minute. Thought for sure it had you. I jumped over the try to grab you, but you were gone." He let out a shuddering breath, collecting himself before he continued.

"Then, it all stopped. Wind dropped to a breeze, rain to a drizzle, and the clouds thinned right out. Like some spell broke. Minute later, you popped up half drowned." Chewie shook his head. "Craziest thing I've ever seen. I thought for sure I'd be explaining to your parents how I let you get yourself killed."

Chewie's arms came around him, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. All Ben's hard-earned air was squeezed out of him, but he didn't protest. He forced his arms up to return the hug, taking comfort in the familiar embrace. He'd been sure he wouldn't make it either. Confusion still filled his mind. What had happened down there?

Chewie pulled back and got to his feet, extending a hand down to help Ben up. Ben took it, the remains of his soaked sleeve falling back along his left arm. He caught sight of it as he prepared to stand, and froze. 

His soulmate marking stood out on his pale skin, the pattern as same as always. But now, instead of the familiar black lines, the mark shone with a fading gold glow. His heart pounded as he put together the pieces. It was her. It was impossible, but there wasn't a shadow of doubt in his mind. His soulmate was the monster. 

Looking down at him, Chewbacca had to see too. "Holy--" he said. Ben dragged his eyes away from the mark to look around him. His uncle's mouth hung open, gaze fixed on Ben's arm. They'd stood still so long that the entire crew had taken note, and they all bore similar expressions of shock as they stared. 

Their reactions snapped Ben out of his stupor. He jumped to his feet and shoved the torn fabric back over his arm. It was too late. Everyone knew their prince was bound to a monster, and those that didn't would hear soon enough. He scowled, glaring around until most of them dropped their gazes. He straightened his shoulders and addressed his first mate. 

"We should talk," he said, trying to impart some measure of dignity into the words, even as he stood there dripping, branded, and beaten. 

Chewie snorted. "You think?" 

Ben's teeth ground together. He could feel the weight of the entire crew gawking at him. Without another word, he pushed his way through the crowd and stormed off the deck to his quarters. 

**Author's Note:**

> ETA: I actually have the next chapter written, but as soon as I had free time again, I ended up recovering from crud. I will get more up soon!


End file.
